Kathmandu, March 14: In light of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict in West Asia, the Nepalese government has decided to suspend the visa-on-arrival facility for Iranian citizens. This announcement was made by the Department of Immigration on Friday.
The Director General of the department, Ramchandra Tiwari, stated that this measure aims to curb the potential increase in the movement of Iranian nationals due to the regional unrest. He noted that similar policies have been implemented for citizens of other conflict-affected nations.
Tiwari explained that the decision to halt the visa-on-arrival service for Iranian citizens was taken by Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs based on the department’s recommendation. This step has been deemed necessary for national security, particularly due to concerns that Iranian citizens might enter Nepal via India due to the open border.
Under the new regulations, all Iranian nationals, except those holding official and diplomatic passports, will now be required to obtain a visa from a Nepalese embassy or diplomatic mission abroad before entering Nepal. With this decision, the number of countries without visa-on-arrival access to Nepal has increased to 13.
The list of these countries includes Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Syria.
The Nepalese government has also clarified that individuals arriving with refugee travel documents must obtain a visa from a Nepalese diplomatic mission before entering the country. This precaution is in response to concerns that foreign nationals may attempt to seek refugee status in Nepal. In the past, hundreds of Rohingya refugees arrived in Nepal due to military actions in Myanmar. Additionally, from the early 1990s, Nepal provided refuge to over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees, many of whom were later resettled in various Western countries.
When asked if this decision was influenced by U.S. security concerns, Tiwari denied any such connection. He stated that Nepal has not received any official diplomatic communication from the U.S. regarding potential threats concerning Iranian citizens.
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